Tiger Woods: Alcohol 'not involved' in arrest
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| Police in Palm Beach County, Florida, released a mugshot of the golfer |
Golfer Tiger Woods
says alcohol was "not involved" in his arrest while driving in
Florida early on Monday.
The player, who was
charged with Driving under the Influence (DUI), blamed "an unexpected
reaction to prescribed medication".
"I understand
the severity of what I did and I take full responsibility for my actions,"
he said.
Police released a
mugshot of Woods, looking unshaven and unkempt, following his arrest in the
town of Jupiter.
"I want the
public to know that alcohol was not involved. What happened was an unexpected
reaction to prescribed medications," he said.
"I didn't
realise the mix of medications had affected me so strongly."
He added: "I
would like to apologise with all my heart to my family, friends and the fans. I
expect more from myself too."
An unwanted image - Iain Carter, BBC Sport golf
correspondent
The mug shot shows a disheveled Tiger Woods, bleary-eyed and
unshaven - just the sort of image he would not want associated with himself in
public.
The picture will haunt him throughout these proceedings and
beyond. This is someone who has put back together his public life after that
epic fall from grace with all the news of the extramarital affairs that broke
in 2009.
What we gather from someone who has a jealously guarded
lifestyle in terms of his privacy is he spends most of his time playing
computer games. We know he speaks glowingly about being a father and looking
after his children.
Police records show the 41-year-old golfer was pulled over
at about 03:00 local time (07:00 GMT) near his home in Jupiter and later taken
into custody. He was released from Palm Beach County jail at 10:30 local time.
The record says that he was released "on his own
recognisance", meaning he promised in writing to co-operate with future
legal proceedings
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| The former world number one has not won a major championship in nearly a decade |
Woods has been recovering from back surgery. In his most
recent comment about his health, he wrote that the surgery had relieved
terrible pain and that he hadn't "felt this good in years".
The 14-time major champion's personal life came under
scrutiny in 2009 when he was charged with careless driving outside his Florida
home.
He later admitted to having had extra-marital affairs and
made a frank
public apology. He said he had received professional help and planned
to undergo further therapy.
The golfer lost several sponsors over the scandal and took a
break from competition.
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